LeNea

I don't think publications matter all that much in admissions for PhD programs. You are doing the PhD to focus on a particular topic and out of that work is where the beginning of your career's publication record will be. I had none and had no trouble getting into several excellent programs. Certainly there is the occasional student who has had a stellar undergrad/master's career and has a publication that is very much their own body of work, but every time I mentioned in my interviews feeling inadequate because I had nothing to "show for" three years of undergraduate research, I was told it wasn't very important and that there isn't much of a difference between having a third-author paper and having no paper at all. A pattern of dedication to laboratory work is important, but the experience of the work and understanding what you're getting yourself into is far more important than a product out of it, in my opinion.

For grad housing:

HGS is the best on-campus option and fills up fast. Most of the students I personally know who live in HGS are either international or in the humanities. It's really convenient to just about everything, but it is a hall-style dorm situation.

There are some other on-campus options, like Helen Hadley Hall (great for school of music/stuff on Hillhouse Ave area due to close proximity) and Harkness Hall (down at Medical School). Harkeness is all med students with just a few others and they study ALL the time. A lot of people I know who started out in HHH were quickly frustrated with the lack of kitchen and moved out after the first year. The HGS people seem to hang around there longer, not sure why.

I would use the shuttle maps as a good guide to where is good/bad to live. If you get Shuttle service within a few blocks, you're pretty safe. Ask for email addresses of older students in your program and run addresses by them before going out to look at apartments - most won't mind, and at this point, I can glance at an address and if I don't know that street name, it's probably a bad sign. I'm an East Rocker and love love love it, take the orange line down to the med school. If you're CS, I'm guessing you'll be in the Prospect/Trumbull/Hillhouse area, so pay special attention to where the Green and Blue lines go.

As for finding an apartment - there are the "Yale owned" properties, I think they're overpriced, but I hear they're a good bet if you're looking for somewhere downtown. I found both my apartments on the off-campus housing service search page - GREAT resource. Both my landlords have been Yale affiliates and have been fantastic. Ask your dept if they set up a list-serv for incoming students (I know the biology combined program does) to facilitate the roommate hunt, if you're interested in that angle. On campus or Yale owned housing has to be arranged sooner; off campus apartments tend to get listed in May for July 1 starts and more towards June for August 1 starts. There are some apts with September 1 starts, they show up later, but are tough to pull off with orientation.

Do not sign a lease sight unseen (but that's anywhere you go). Scrape up some money to come up and apartment hunt for several days, or find roommates that have the ability to do that (that's what I wound up doing). The greatest thing in the world is to find a good apt with heat included. Don't live on the first floor (no AC -> open windows -> break-in risk) but be aware that getting stuff up to the third floor can be a hassle (I now know lots about split box springs!).

As for LGBT, I don't know what the scene is like personally, but I know quite a few LGBT grad students who seem pretty happy. I would check Yale's webpage for student organizations devoted to LGBT causes, or email the McDougal Center (Grad Student Center) about resources. They could probably put you in touch with grad students who can give you their experiences and perspectives.